ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to compare the clinical results of silicone oil removal using a 23-gauge transconjunctival sutureless pars plana vitrectomy (TSVS) and the 20-gauge pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) system and to evaluate the clinical value of 23-guage PPV system in silicone oil removal. METHODS: Eight eyes of 8 patients who received removal of silicone oil using the 23-gauge TSVS and 6 eyes of 6 patients using the 20-gauge PPV system were included in this study. The total operation time, silicone oil removal time, intraoperative and postoperative advantages, shortcomings, and complications were compared. RESULTS: The operation time and silicone oil removal time were 44.6+/-14.1 minutes, 42.7+/-10.5 minutes and 2.0+/-0.9 min/cc, 1.4+/-0.6 min/cc when silicone oil removal was performed using 23-gauge TSVS and 20-gauge PPV system, respectively. They were not significantly different (p=0.80, 0.22). Attention for the complete removal of the oil is necessary because of the intraocular trocar length when the 23-gauge TSVS is used. There were no complications except transient hypotonies (2 eyes), transient hypertonies (2 eyes) in the 23-gauge system and transient hypertonies (2 eyes) in the 20-gauge system. CONCLUSIONS: The operation time for silicone oil removal using the 23-gauge TSVS was not different than that of the 20-gauge PPV system and can be performed safely without any particular complications. Care and precautionary measures are needed in order to remove silicone oil completely.